Process and apparatus for drying peat by air-currents.



RYING FEAT BY AIR CURRENTS.

APPLICATION FILED 13130.3,1906.

Patentd M :6 5 V U r M M W r m 6 WK w n W 0% v m H L f a mm WM 5 u H 7%7 WM 1., knuwwmw M a coup B UNTTED STA" HANS V ON MORSEY-PIOARD TO FRITZHAOKLANDER, N ESOTA.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS Specification of Letters Patent.

FOR DRYING PEACE BY AIR-CURRENTS.

Patented March 9, 1909.

Application filed December 3, 1906. Serial No. 34.6,159.

To (155 whom it may concern:

lie it known that we, Hans BARON VON liioiisnr-iickno and Ennsr Bane voNVER- sonunn, citizens of Germany, subjects of the {ing of Prussia andEmperor of Germany, both residing at Cassel, in the Kingdom of Prussiaand Empire of Germany, have invented a new and useful Process andApparatus for Drying Peat by Air-Currents, of which the following is aspecification.

in the processes heretofore in use to render compressed peat combustibleby airdrying, the cost for stacking it and unstacking it is I veryconsiderable. The drying process also I requires too much time anddepends very nmch on the moisture of the weather, by I which it mighteven be entirely frustrated. it is known to hasten the stacking of thecakes of peat by giving them a hard outside; the known process ishowever not suited to render stacking for complete drying altogetherunnecessary.

The object of this invention is to avoid the necessity of stacking thecakes of peat in the open air or in covered rooms. It is therebyimportant that the stock to be dried be eX- posed to a current of air,increasing gradually in force, so that at the beginning only a slightdrying will be effected and which will be increased as the shrinking ofthe peat advances. It has been observed that it is not advantageous tointensely dry the peat from the first, as this forms a quickly hardeningcrust, which prevents the moisture contained in the interior from beingdried out and so renders a suflicient drying of the material impossible.

This process is essentially as follows The cakes of peat proceeding fromthe press are first exposed to a natural or artificially produced strongcurrent of air for superficial hardening, whereupon the slightlyhardened peat-cakes are dumped into towers tapering downwardfunnel-like, which are connected with means such as a high chimney, fanor the like for producing a strong natural or artificial current of air.From these towers which are suitably provided at the bottom withautomatically closing discharging devices, the dried cakes of peat canbe charged directly into conveying vessels which run under thedischarge.

In the course of this process the dry peat drawn off below makes roomfor the par tially dried peat above, which will gradually followdownward. The towers being funnel-shaped and wider at the top than atthe bottom and the entrance-openings for the drying air being arrangedonly at the lower end thereof, the current of air entering in the lowerpart of the shaft or tower and drawn off above will have the leastintensity in the upper portion of the shaft where the peat to be driedis first dumped, while the peat as it hardens and shrinks sinks down andapproaches a current of air increasing in force. This drying-air mayalso be heated if desired.

in the accompanying drawings an arrangement for carrying out the desiredprocess is shown in which,

Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the apparatus used forcarrying out this process; and Fig. 2 represents a transverse sectiontaken on the line 22 of Fig. l and looking in the direction of thearrow.

The shaft a in which the peat is placed, tapers downward and has at itsupper end charging holes /L closed by doors 2'. At its lower end saidshaft is perforated sieve-like, as shown at b to permit the entrance ofthe drying air. This lower end is also provided with discharge orifices0 closed by doors d through which the dried peat may be conveyed tochutes e which carries it into carts placed thereunder. The upper end ofthe funnel-shaped shaft av is connected with an air conduit f, whichcommunicates with a suction fan 9, which being set in motion, causes thecurrent of air entering through orifices 7) to be drawn upward throughthe shaft.

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States is 1. A process for drying peatwhich has been previously hardened on the outside, which consists insubjecting peat to a current of air decreasing in velocity as itprogresses, and advancing the peat in a direction contrary to themovement of the air current.

2. A process for drying cakes of peat consisting in advancing the cakesin one direction through a current of air decreasing in velocity in theopposite direction to that in which the cakes of peat are beingadvanced.

3. An apparatus for drying peat, comprising a shaft gradually taperingfunnellike from its upper to its lower end into which shaft the cakes ofpeat are adapted to be charged from above, said shaft having air inletsat the bottom thereof opening directly into the shaft, and an air outletat the upper part thereof, and a discharge opening at the bottom of saidshaft.

l. An apparatus for drying peat, comprising a receptacle'tapering fromits upper to its lower end and having an approximately cone-shapedreentrant perforated bottom, said receptacle having discharge openingsarranged in its side walls near the bottom thereof, and an air out-letat the top.

A process for drying peat which has been previously prepared to adapt itfor better drying, consisting in advancing the cakes of peat in acurrent of air the velocity of which decreases in the direction contraryto the direction of movement 0 the cakes being dried.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HANS VON MORSEY-PICARD. ERNST VON VEKSCHUER.

Vitnesses ERNEST H; L. MUMMENi-IOFF, O'r'ro XV. HELLMRIOH.

